Alberta recently issued a formal notice announcing fee adjustments for the Worker Streams within the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP).

Application Fees Significantly Increased, Affecting Multiple Categories

The most notable change is the increase in application fees. According to the Alberta government's announcement regarding changes effective April 1, 2025, the application fee for multiple Worker Streams under the AAIP has been uniformly increased from the previous CAD 840 to CAD 1,500. This new fee applies to applications submitted on or after April 1, 2025.

The specific categories affected by this fee adjustment include:

• Alberta Opportunity Stream
• Alberta Express Entry Stream and its associated pathways
• Rural Renewal Stream
• Tourism and Hospitality stream

In addition to the Worker Streams, two other fees have also been adjusted:

• Farm Stream: This stream aims to attract experienced farm operators to establish or purchase a farm in Alberta. Its provincial nomination application fee has increased sharply from CAD 500 to CAD 3,500. This change also takes effect on April 1, 2025, and applies to applications submitted on or after that date. It is noteworthy that fees for other entrepreneur immigration categories remain unchanged this time.
• Nomination Certificate Extension Fee: For applicants needing to request the re-issuance of an expired nomination certificate, the related fee has increased from CAD 100 to CAD 150, also effective April 1, 2025.

Multiple Immigration Policies Updated Simultaneously

Alongside the fee adjustments, the AAIP has also undergone a series of policy changes:

1. Withdrawal from Federal Temporary Work Permit Facilitation Policy: On March 17, 2025, the Alberta government announced its decision not to participate in the federal government's temporary open work permit facilitation policy for provincial nominees in the 2025 calendar year. This federal policy allows provinces to opt-in; Alberta was initially one of three provinces to opt-in but has now withdrawn this decision. This means AAIP applicants hoping to obtain an open work permit while awaiting provincial nomination or federal processing will not be able to utilize this specific federal pathway.
2. Suspension of Specific Invitation Pathway: Also on March 17, 2025, Alberta decided to suspend issuing invitations through the 'Family Connection and Occupation in Demand Pathway'. However, the immigration authorities clarified that applicants can still receive points in the scoring system for having eligible family members in Alberta (parents, children, or siblings who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents).
3. Addition of an Approved Language Test: Effective April 1, 2025, the AAIP began accepting Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core scores as valid proof of language proficiency for all immigration stream applications (applicable to applications received on or after April 1, 2025). This provides applicants with more options. Currently, AAIP-approved language tests include: IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF Canada (French), TCF Canada (French).

Challenges Amidst Federal Quota Reductions

These provincial policy adjustments are occurring against the backdrop of federal reductions in Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) immigration allocations. Late last year, the federal government decided to cut the total number of immigrants landing in Canada through PNPs in 2025 by 50%. Early this year, then-federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller confirmed that this reduction means the number of foreign nationals that participating provinces and territories can nominate in 2025 will be significantly lower.

Specifically for Alberta, its provincial nomination allocation was 9,750 in 2024, but this number has been reduced to 4,875 for 2025. The sharp decrease in the allocation will undoubtedly intensify application competition. Combined with the increase in application fees and the tightening of some policies, prospective applicants need to more carefully evaluate their qualifications and prepare for potentially increased costs and difficulty.

Overall, Alberta's immigration programs are undergoing a significant adjustment period. The increase in application fees directly raises the cost of immigration, while the allocation reduction implies higher application thresholds and fiercer competition. Applicants planning to immigrate to Canada through the AAIP should closely monitor the latest official information and adjust their application strategies accordingly.